diff --git a/ankiqt/ui/deckproperties.py b/ankiqt/ui/deckproperties.py
index 3007881d3..ce8947f42 100644
--- a/ankiqt/ui/deckproperties.py
+++ b/ankiqt/ui/deckproperties.py
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ class DeckProperties(QDialog):
         # hour shift
         self.dialog.timeOffset.setText(str(
             (self.d.utcOffset - time.timezone) / 60.0 / 60.0))
+        # leeches
+        self.dialog.suspendLeeches.setChecked(self.d.getBool("suspendLeeches"))
+        self.dialog.leechFails.setValue(self.d.getInt("leechFails"))
 
     def drawSourcesTable(self):
         self.dialog.sourcesTable.clear()
@@ -240,6 +243,13 @@ class DeckProperties(QDialog):
             self.updateField(self.d, 'failedCardMax', v)
         except ValueError:
             pass
+        try:
+            self.d.setVar("suspendLeeches",
+                          not not self.dialog.suspendLeeches.isChecked())
+            self.d.setVar("leechFails",
+                          int(self.dialog.leechFails.value()))
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
         # hour shift
         try:
             self.updateField(self.d, 'utcOffset',
diff --git a/ankiqt/ui/main.py b/ankiqt/ui/main.py
index 52a2cd546..47633adf4 100755
--- a/ankiqt/ui/main.py
+++ b/ankiqt/ui/main.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from PyQt4.QtCore import *
 from PyQt4.QtGui import *
 from anki import DeckStorage
 from anki.errors import *
-from anki.sound import hasSound, playFromText, clearAudioQueue
+from anki.sound import hasSound, playFromText, clearAudioQueue, stripSounds
 from anki.utils import addTags, deleteTags, parseTags, canonifyTags, stripHTML
 from anki.media import rebuildMediaDir, downloadMissing
 from anki.db import OperationalError, SessionHelper
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ class AnkiQt(QMainWindow):
                      SIGNAL("clicked()"),
                      self.onClose)
         # notices
+        self.noticeShown = 0
         self.mainWin.noticeFrame.setShown(False)
         self.connect(self.mainWin.noticeButton, SIGNAL("clicked()"),
                      lambda: self.mainWin.noticeFrame.setShown(False))
@@ -129,9 +130,14 @@ class AnkiQt(QMainWindow):
             self.mainWin.noticeButton.setFixedHeight(20)
 
     def setNotice(self, str):
+        self.noticeShown = time.time()
         self.mainWin.noticeLabel.setText(str)
         self.mainWin.noticeFrame.setShown(True)
 
+    def maybeClearNotice(self):
+        if time.time() - self.noticeShown > 5:
+            self.mainWin.noticeFrame.setShown(False)
+
     def setupViews(self):
         self.bodyView = ui.view.View(self, self.mainWin.mainText,
                                      self.mainWin.mainTextFrame)
@@ -299,6 +305,7 @@ Please do not file a bug report with Anki.<br>""")
         elif state == "getQuestion":
             # stop anything playing
             clearAudioQueue()
+            self.maybeClearNotice()
             if self.deck.isEmpty():
                 return self.moveToState("deckEmpty")
             else:
@@ -445,7 +452,8 @@ Please do not file a bug report with Anki.<br>""")
         self.moveToState("getQuestion")
 
     def isLeech(self):
-        return not self.currentCard.successive and self.currentCard.noCount > 15
+        return (not self.currentCard.successive and
+                self.currentCard.noCount >= self.deck.getInt('leechFails'))
 
     def handleLeech(self):
         self.deck.refresh()
@@ -454,13 +462,15 @@ Please do not file a bug report with Anki.<br>""")
         self.currentCard.fact.tags = canonifyTags(tags)
         self.currentCard.fact.setModified(textChanged=True)
         self.deck.updateFactTags([self.currentCard.fact.id])
-        self.deck.suspendCards([self.currentCard.id])
+        txt = (_("""\
+<b>%s</b>... is a <a href="http://ichi2.net/anki/wiki/Leeches">leech</a>.""")
+               % stripHTML(stripSounds(self.currentCard.question)).\
+               replace("\n", " ")[0:30])
+        if self.deck.getBool('suspendLeeches'):
+            self.deck.suspendCards([self.currentCard.id])
+            txt += _(" It has been suspended.")
         self.deck.refresh()
-        self.setNotice(_("""\
-<b>%s</b>... is a <a href="http://ichi2.net/anki/wiki/Leeches">leech</a>
-and has been suspended.""") %
-                       stripHTML(self.currentCard.question)[0:30].\
-                       replace("\n", " "))
+        self.setNotice(txt)
 
     def startRefreshTimer(self):
         "Update the screen once a minute until next card is displayed."
diff --git a/designer/deckproperties.ui b/designer/deckproperties.ui
index f99e877a2..05a4fa268 100644
--- a/designer/deckproperties.ui
+++ b/designer/deckproperties.ui
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>426</width>
-    <height>401</height>
+    <width>419</width>
+    <height>457</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }
        <item>
         <widget class="QLabel" name="label_27">
          <property name="text">
-          <string>&lt;h1&gt;Advanced Scheduling&lt;/h1&gt;</string>
+          <string>&lt;h1&gt;Advanced&lt;/h1&gt;</string>
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
@@ -569,6 +569,30 @@ p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }
            </property>
           </widget>
          </item>
+         <item row="4" column="0">
+          <widget class="QLabel" name="label_11">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>&lt;b&gt;Suspend leeches&lt;/b&gt;</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item row="4" column="2">
+          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="suspendLeeches">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string/>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item row="5" column="0">
+          <widget class="QLabel" name="label_15">
+           <property name="text">
+            <string>&lt;b&gt;Leech failure threshold&lt;/b&gt;</string>
+           </property>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
+         <item row="5" column="2">
+          <widget class="QSpinBox" name="leechFails"/>
+         </item>
         </layout>
        </item>
        <item>
@@ -626,6 +650,8 @@ p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }
   <tabstop>collapse</tabstop>
   <tabstop>failedCardMax</tabstop>
   <tabstop>timeOffset</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>suspendLeeches</tabstop>
+  <tabstop>leechFails</tabstop>
   <tabstop>buttonBox</tabstop>
  </tabstops>
  <resources/>
diff --git a/designer/main.ui b/designer/main.ui
index 78871115e..075880b5f 100644
--- a/designer/main.ui
+++ b/designer/main.ui
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@
              </font>
             </property>
             <property name="text">
-             <string>TextLabel</string>
+             <string/>
             </property>
             <property name="alignment">
              <set>Qt::AlignLeading|Qt::AlignLeft|Qt::AlignVCenter</set>